


Dining at the Ritz, we’ll Meet At 9

by Electric_Dragon



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Bentley uses she/they pronouns, Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), M/M, Mutual Pining, Queen music, Song: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Song: It’s A Hard Life, jealous Bentley, mentions of 1967, using songs as code
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29989992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Electric_Dragon/pseuds/Electric_Dragon
Summary: Aziraphale claims he doesn’t listen to any bebop.For the most part this statement is true, however there was one, and only one exception.Crowley miiiiiight have inspired a particular Queen song and was planning to use it to communicate what couldn’t be said to his angel. The Bentley wouldn’t have it... at first.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Dining at the Ritz, we’ll Meet At 9

Aziraphale claims he doesn’t listen to any bebop. 

For the most part this statement is true, however there was one, and only one exception.

~~  
 _Soho, 1977 in the Bentley_

He was nervous. The last time he saw Crowley, not even a decade ago, was one of the most tense moments of his life. Aziraphale wasn’t a fool, and knew that they would both need some space after that dreadful situation.

He hadn’t expected Crowley to reach out so quickly.

But there he was, back in the Bentley holding on for dear life as they sped towards the ritz for lunch. As terrified as he was in the car, nothing could distract him from the mounting tenseness both still held. 

They rode in silence, as Aziraphale could still not bring himself up to start a conversation.

That was, until the Bentley started playing a piece.

_Dining at the Ritz, we’ll meet at nine (exactly, nine O’clock)  
You pay the bill, you taste the wine  
Driving back in style-_

Crowley noticed what had happened and rushed to turn off the music. “Sssory about that, she does that sometimes...”

Aziraphale looked at the radio quizzically. These machines were much too advanced for his liking, but he was pretty sure only Crowley’s car could achieve such a feat. “Ah, don’t worry dear boy, it’s all right” he said quickly.

“So,” Crowley began, “how’s the bookshop?”

“Oh! It’s quite lovely, if I do say myself. Just a few weeks ago I was able to find a marvellous new book for my collection...”

They continued their conversation, both laughing and catching up. After all, it had been a decade. Aziraphale noticed that now, every time, their space between meetings had grown shorter, and yet he found himself missing Crowley more and more.

He also wondered about that piece of music he heard. It was much different to other modern music he had heard, however it was the lines of the song that made him curious. “Dining at the Ritz” and “you pay the bill, you taste the wine” were... so much like he and Crowley conversed.

He needed to find this song.

They finished up at the Ritz, and, coincidentally, Crowley dropped him off at AZ Fell and Co. at nine. As soon as he saw the Bentley round the corner, he snapped his fingers.

A small box appeared in his hands, which, according to one of his books on innovations, he believed to be a cassette tape. Hesitantly, he sat down in his chair and pressed the button.

_Ooh, love, ooh, loverboy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?  
Set my alarm, turn on my charm  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned loverboy  
Ooh, let me feel your heartbeat (Grow faster, faster)_

He pressed the pause button, taking a deep breath. He wasn’t expecting the song to be... to be so _him_. It felt like everything he wanted.

He continued the song.

_Ooh, love, ooh, loverboy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?  
Write my letter  
Feel much better  
And use my fancy patter on the telephone_

He paused it again. Aziraphale, before he became even more concerned for both of their safety, used to write letters to Crowley. It was like this song was stealing his soul and pouring it back down him.

_When I'm not with you  
Think of you always  
(I miss those long hot summer nights) I miss you  
When I'm not with you  
Think of me always  
Love you, love you_

Aziraphale felt a lone tear run down his cheek. He kept the cassette, hiding it in one of his drawers.

~~

“I can’t believe you did that to me! I trusted you, and I don’t trust anyone, well, but Aziraphale, but you get the point! _You_ will learn to behave yourself.” 

Crowley growled at his Bentley, still gripping the steering wheel tightly in the parking spot next to his flat.

“I’m still a demon, I haven’t gone _completely_ soft just because I put a bloody song idea into Freddie’s head one day!”

The bentley stayed quiet, waiting for their master to finish. She knew she had crossed a line, but was only jealous the angel seemed to grab his attention even more than their master did for them.

“Listen, you’re still a bloody amazing car. But I was planning to use that! That would have been my only way to send a coded message to him! Just to know...” Crowley swallowed, equally nervous and embarrassed, “to know if he loves me back.” 

She needed to lighten his mood. When he was with the one their master called Aziraphale, it was the happiest she’d seen him in a long time. Maybe this would be good for all of them.

She played Pale Blue Eyes by Velvet Underground for him, knowing it was one of his favourites when he was feeling this way. Which was a lot.

Their master seemed to calm a bit, and they stayed together for just that bit longer than usual.

~~

_Aziraphale’s Bookshop, 1984_

When he found himself thinking of Crowley, Aziraphale would play the cassette. It helped him get lost in the few memories they shared, those of which he wanted to relive more than ever. 

He hadn’t seen Crowley since 1977, due to both of them being rather busy with assignments from heaven and hell respectively. During this time, he began to have a feeling it wasn’t just coincidence the bentley had played the song.

It was code.

Aziraphale wasn’t exactly certain of this however. Part of him wanted to tell him he was silly and misguided, but the other... well, the other wanted deeply to believe it was.

The only bebop Aziraphale ever listened to was Queen, whom Crowley had gotten him interested in unintentionally. Their music brought the angel joy, and felt he could relate to much of the topics sung about.

He would never tell Crowley. That was, until their 1984 album released. 

Listening to it, Aziraphale sucked in a breath. He knew what he had to do.

~~

_Crowley’s flat, 1984_

He was surprised to find a letter at his door that morning. It wasn’t like he wasn’t sent mail from advertising companies, but this one was different. Hand written on old paper. 

Carefully he approached the letter, dreading its contents. It had to be from Hell, probably just new assignments. He always worried though, because if they found out anything about a he and a certain angel...

It was from Aziraphale. 

Hurrying, he rushed to the Bentley. Aziraphale had to be in trouble, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent him a note. He said it himself, they were dangerous, and could be detected.

Rushing in, he slammed the door and quickly ripped open the paper. He was surprised to find a small paper and a cassette tape fall out.

His breath caught, and he felt his glasses slide off his nose from the sweat of running. At least, that was what he claimed.

He decided to look at the letter first.

_Dear Crowley,_

_I would like you to know that in 1977... I got your message._

_You know that I cannot disclose information here, however, maybe what I sent you shall show you._

_I’m ready to let you know that one day I want to do the tango just for two._

_Everything’s all right, just hold on tight._

_From,_

_Aziraphale_

“That- that couldn’t mean...” Crowley thought his heart would beat out of his chest. Slowly, he took the cassette tape and pressed the button.

_This is a tricky situation  
I've only got myself to blame  
It's just a simple fact of life  
It can happen to any one  
You win, you lose  
It's a chance you have to take with love  
Oh yeah, I fell in love ___

__He paused the tape. He got his message? He... he loves him back. He continued the tape of the song, just to be sure, even though he knew It’s A Hard Life like the back of his hand._ _

___I try and mend the broken pieces  
Oh, I try to fight back the tears  
Oh, they say it's just a state of mind  
But it happens to everyone_ _ _

___ _

___How it hurts (yeah) deep inside (oh yeah)  
When your love has cut you down to size  
Life is tough on your own  
Now I'm waiting for something to fall from the skies  
I'm waiting for love _ _ _

__As much as he wanted to be happy, there was also a reason Aziraphale showed him this song. They couldn’t be together, and he was suffering._ _

__But now he knew it wasn’t only him. He let the song play on._ _

__

___Yes it's a hard life  
In a world that's filled with sorrow  
There are people searching for love in every way  
It's a long hard fight  
But I'll always live for tomorrow  
I'll look back at myself and say I did it for love (oh)  
Yes I did it for love _ _ _

__He felt a smile, yet the tears ran down his face._ _

__~~_ _

__The Bentley was confused. She knew her master, and he rarely was so vulnerable, even in her presence._ _

__He heard him say the Angel loved him, and they figured they could help him feel less sad with that knowledge._ _

__She turned on her radio._ _

____Ooh, love, ooh, loverboy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?  
Set my alarm, turn on my charm  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned loverboy_ _

__Slowly, he lifted his head, and smiled at her._ _

**Author's Note:**

> The Songs mentioned were:
> 
> Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen  
> Pale Blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground  
> It’s A Hard Life by Queen
> 
> (If you couldn’t tell, I’m a hardcore Queen fan)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I loved writing it! Let me know in the comments- they make my day = )
> 
> Electric_Dragon out ✌️


End file.
